｜Length : 52min. ｜Year : 1998 ｜

Urban Life can be a turn-off for some people. Mr. Sakamoto, who had been employed by the Maritime Safety Agency, chose to move to the village of Sawauchi where he and his family could live a life more suited to them. Sawauchi is known as the "Village of Dog's Tooth Violets," for the pretty purplish-pink flowers that flourish there. Here in this village they learn not only how to choose and care for horses, but also how to grow and harvest rice. They also meet a man who has spent years traversing the mountains in search of signs of the ancient matagi, or bear-hunters of the area.

｜Length : 49min. ｜Year : 1998 ｜

Virtual reality threatens the real world's environment

As faster, more sophisticated computers inundate the consumer market, the question of how to dispose of old, unwanted PCs has become an environmental headache which threatens to overwhelm both ecologists and scientists. Computer makers have set up environmental control departments to collaborate with engineers who control production and design so that discarded computers can be broken down into components for recycling. However, demand and the diversity of models makes massive recycling ineffective.

｜Length : 46min. ｜Year : 1998 ｜

At Bakuro Elementary School founded in 1901, "pictures" drawn by six-graders have been preserved for almost 100 years. The works of art, some dating back to around 1907, were left in the school's hands in commemoration of their graduation. the pictures give us an idea how the students were educated then, how their lifestyles were like back in the day, and how things have changed with the progress of time through the four Emperor's eras I.E. Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei.

｜Length : 10min. ｜Year : 1998 ｜

This episode focuses on the process of making giant ship propellers - from the initial stage when the copper alloy is cast into the mold, through the final steps which require manually planning the hole in the propeller where the shaft must be snugly fitted, to the hand polishing of the giant blades. These "human touches" ensure that the ships which transport goods around the world can journey efficiently and safely. To paraphrase Mr. Izutani who has been doing this job for 25 years: "Humans are still superior to machines."

｜Length : 10min. ｜Year : 1998 ｜

The shape of a particular fiber determines its distinctive qualities, and central to the distinctiveness of each fiber is the precision of the holes, which can be as small as 100 microns, through which petroleum-based materials are squeezed to become chemical fibers. Akinori Katayama has been designated a "modern master craftsman" by the Ministry of Labor. He files and polishes unique tools made of ultra-hard alloys up to the thickness of a strand of human hair that are used to drill these holes into nozzles.